Amazon Web Services has signed three new agreements to develop nuclear power projects for energizing its massive data centers, including one with Virginia’s Dominion Energy.
The Dominion agreement includes exploring the development of Small Modular Reactors, a kind of nuclear reactor with a smaller physical footprint that allows them to be built closer to the grid, and with faster build and delivery times. The project would be near Dominion’s existing nuclear power facilities at Virginia’s Lake Anna.
Dominion Energy has announced plans for a significant infrastructure upgrade with the Clifton to Winters Branch electric transmission rebuild project. The utility presented details about the project at the Sept. 17, 2024, Manassas Park Governing Body meeting and aims to modernize and enhance the electric grid's reliability in Northern Virginia by replacing existing infrastructure with updated technology and equipment.
New Structures and Upgrades
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A powerful line of thunderstorms swept through Northern Virginia on August 3, 2024, causing significant power outages across Prince William and Stafford counties. The severe weather left many residents in the dark as utility companies scrambled to restore service.
Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC) Outages
NOVEC reported the highest number of outages in the region, with Prince William County experiencing three major incidents affecting a total of 60 customers. The specific outages are as follows:
Applewood Ln, Chicory Ln, Coffee Pot Hill, Creedmore South Dr, Creedmore West Ct, Double Poplars Ln, Dumfries Rd, Ecoganic Farm Ln, Kelly Meadows Ln, Kines Rd, Magnolia Ln, Marshall Gardens Ct, Old Auburn Rd, Old Dumfries Rd, Pembridge Ln, Rogues Rd, RR 602 & 670, RR 670 & 692, Shulls Ln, Squires Ln, Taylor Rd, Twin Poplar Ln-
Customers Affected: 1
Bobcat Ct, Minnieville Rd
Customers Affected: 33
Hensley Rd, Smithfield Rd
– Customers Affected: 26
Stafford County faced two significant outages affecting a total of 229 customers:
Aquia Rd, Beaver Dam Rd, Beaver Farm Ln, Blackwells Mill Rd, Bowling Farm Ln, Briarwood Ln, Bristersburg Rd, Castlebar Dr, Chimney Lake Ln, Courtney School Rd, Cropp Rd, Deep Run Rd, Delmar Ln, Elk Ridge Rd, Elk Run Church Rd, Enduro Run Rd, Ensors Shop Rd, Geraldine Ct, Gobbler Run Ln, Greentree Ln, Halstead Dr, Hawks Ln, Ireland Dr, Ireland Dr, Izzy Ln, Kenner Ln, Kingdom Dr, Layline Ln, Midland Rd, Poplar Rd, RR 1 Box, RR 617, Seth Dr, Shepherd Hill Ln, Skyline Dr, Soaring Eagle Rd, Spotted Tavern Rd, Stil Water Ln, Still Water Ln, Stillwater Ln, Towles Rd, Whispering Oaks Ln
Customers Affected: 216
Dunbar Dr, Misty Ln
– Customers Affected: 13
Dominion Energy Outages
Dominion Energy reported 132 customers without power in Stafford County. The affected areas are working towards restoration as crews address the damage caused by the storms.
Both NOVEC and Dominion Energy are actively working to restore power to the affected areas. Crews are on-site assessing damage and performing necessary repairs. The cause of the outages remains under investigation, and both utility companies have provided estimated restoration times for affected customers.
Updated 1 p.m. -- All 111 Prince William Estates neighborhood residents who lost power on Monday had it restored by 7:30 p.m. Monday, June 10, 2024.
"Initially, it was called in as two broken poles and two broken cross arms. When our crews arrived, they found the first broken cross-arm and a second before coming across a third broken pole. So three broken poles total," said Dominion Energy spokeswoman Aisha Khan. "Also, there was an untraceable gas line connected to the third broken pole, causing it to be a tough dig for our crews.
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Residents of Prince William Estates in Dumfries have been experiencing a power outage since early this morning, affecting 111 customers in the neighborhood in Dumfries.
According to Dominion Energy, the outage was caused by a fallen tree that broke two utility poles.
The power outage was first reported at 5:56 a.m., and Dominion Energy crews have been working throughout the day to restore power. Aisha Khan, Dominion Energy spokeswoman, provided an update on the situation.
“A tree fell, breaking two poles, causing the outage,” Khan stated. “The exact reason for the tree falling is unknown, but it was likely due to natural causes, such as the tree being dead and falling naturally. Dominion field crews have been on-site all day, working diligently on restoration efforts.”
The Dominion outage map indicates that power is expected to be restored between 5 and 8 p.m. this evening. Residents are advised to prepare for continued power outages until then.
Currently, there have been no official announcements from the Town of Dumfries or Prince William County regarding providing services to assist residents during the outage.
“Local activists and officials are joining hands to oppose Dominion Energy’s efforts to build a new substation and transmission lines near Gainesville to fuel data centers,” reports Ben Peters at Insidenova.com.
Bay Journal: “The effect of coal ash on the environment has been studied and debated for more than seven years now in Virginia. Utilities have spent those years looking for long-term disposal solutions for huge volumes of the industrial waste product, much of it located near major rivers.”
“Frankel and his team studied surface water, sediment, species diversity and fish tissue from Quantico Creek, which runs into the Potomac River next to the Possum Point Power Station in Dumfries. They found elevated concentrations of several trace metals in the sediment and in the muscle tissues of banded killifish, which are food for striped bass, birds and other predators. The researchers also found reduced species diversity in the stretch of Quantico Creek closest to the power station, compared with samples taken at upstream and downstream locations.”
Dominion Energy is bullish on placing its remaining coal ash in a $347 million landfill at Possum Point.
Representatives from one of the largest state utilities outlined a plan for a new landfill next to the power plant on the banks of the Potomac River near Dumfries. The plant, built as a coal-burning plant in 1948, was converted to burn gas in 2003.
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Prince William County Potomac District Supervisor Andrea Bailey will hold a town hall to discuss the coal ash ponds and plans to cap them in a landfill near Dumfries.
The town hall will be held on March 30 at Potomac High School, 3401 Panther Pride Drive in Woodbridge.
